Real Estate Co. grows with Dickinson

In January, the Dickinson business moved into its new offices on 19th Street.

The company helps people to "fulfill the American dream," owner Tracey Hoff said.

Its slogan: "Real estate made simple."

"We want to take the pressure off that client," Hoff said. "We want to be able to make it as stress-free for you as we can."

The process is a simple one, Hoff explained. Agent and client meet to talk about agency, "who we represent" and "what your needs are."

"We go out into the market and try to find out what you're looking for and what fits your family, if it's just you or if you have kids and need to be close to the school," he said. "We line those pieces up and show you properties, get you under contract, do some negotiating, go through the inspection process with the client and, of course, deal with the banks and title companies so your transaction happens when you need it to happen."

As with most areas in Dickinson, the Real Estate Co. prospered during the oil boom after 2012, saw a slight decline after, and is now seeing growth again.

"The last couple of years have been a little tougher after the oil went down, '16 and '17 were slower years, less volume, less buyers, probably more people moving," Hoff said. "We've seen a shift in the amount of people coming here. The employers are starting to hire again, which of course brings in new people and gives that housing market a shot in the arm."

Going into 2018, Hoff has a positive outlook.

"We tell our buyers and we tell ourselves, because we're always reading the market, and of course the inventory and demand control prices, the interest rates are still really, really good, so it's easier for you to buy a higher-end product," he said.

With the reduced prices in Dickinson, buyers are "getting a better deal than they could have a couple of years ago."

"When we look at this," he said, "and we look for a lot of new businesses to be hiring, and we look for an influx of people, some movement internally as well, people updating and going to a bigger house, when we see that we know that they're going to be best suited for getting in the market now."

He added, "As long as the interest rates are reasonable, it's a great opportunity for people to buy."

In helping their clients, Hoff said he and his staff follow the golden rule.

"If you treat everybody like you want to be treated, things go really well," Hoff said. "We always put our clients' interests first. When you come in, if we find out what your needs are and we can fit you into that product and make sure you're happy, it comes back tenfold."

Especially rewarding for Hoff is helping people find what they need.

"When a couple moves here and they get the house they need and they're excited and it went really well, and they shoot you a text that says, thanks for the exceptional service. That's the reward," he said. "The reward is the feeling you get when somebody is happy with the transaction when it's complete."

In the middle of January, The Real Estate Co. moved into new offices. The 19th Street location was once a car dealership and before that a bank.

The new space has an advantage over their former Sims Street location, Hoff said, where, for seven years, they were on the building's second floor.

"We had 21 steps," Hoff said. "We had some elderly clients, and steps were a hindrance for them. We felt if we moved to a location where we could have the ground floor and handicap accessible, it would better serve our clients."

He added, "The exposure, where there's a lot of drive-by traffic, is good for a business as well."

The move has been a good one, Hoff said, and benefits Dickinson, as well.

"We purchased the building in June," he said. "When you do that, and you make the move for your team, and for your clients, when you remodel and add-on it also helps the economy. When you have people who are willing to invest money and hire people, the wheel keeps turning. It's better for everybody."

Hoff said he has enjoyed both the growth of his company and the city's housing market.

"We feel blessed to be part of Dickinson," he said. "We have a great community, lots of great industry. We can all thrive in Dickinson. It's a great place to live, great place to work."